As a nation, we’ve got serious digestion and elimination problems. Irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS) is the most common chronic medical condition in the Western world.
Additionally, the National Institutes of Health estimates that more than 4.5 million
Americans are constipated. Add to that the more than 60 million Americans who have
heartburn at least once a month and the 15 million who experience symptoms daily, and
we’ve got problems.

Aside from the epidemic levels of digestive disorders and disturbances, Americans are
also plagued with a host of autoimmune disorders and so-called “diseases of civilization”
such as chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol, joint problems, anxiety, depression,
diabetes, allergic diseases and heart disease. Of course, since these afflictions don’t
take place in the gut, they don’t have anything to do with digestion, right? Absolutely
wrong! Most people assume that gut health is a separate entity from cardiovascular,
psychological, and other types of health, but in truth, the gut is the root and core of
our total general well-being. It’s the place where food is broken down into the building
blocks of our cells. It’s the first line of defense against invading pathogens and infectious
diseases. It’s our protection against environmental and bacterial toxins leaking into the
bloodstream. It’s the home of up to 80 percent of our immune system.

You are probably wondering, how does the digestive system have this much impact on
your health? One word: BACTERIA. We are filled with bacteria—about 100 trillion bacteria
cells in our digestive system alone! The bacteria that grow naturally in the intestinal tract
aid in the nourishment and defense not only of the digestive tract but of the whole
body. These beneficial bacteria are known as probiotics, and they help maintain a heathy
microbial balance in the digestive system.

Think of the healthy bacteria—or probiotics—in your digestive system as your Gut
Protection System. Up to 80 percent of the immune system is found in the gut. It’s your
body’s primary defense, and uses trillions of bacteria as your army. However, our natural
gut flora can be destroyed or depleted by changes in diet, increased stress, medications
including antibiotics, and other factors. When the balance of these beneficial bacteria is
disturbed, harmful bacteria can proliferate, leading to digestive upsets.

The good news is that you have the power to balance your gut and heal your body.
Scientists have long noted that consumption of foods and supplements containing
certain microorganisms, particularly certain species of probiotic Lactobacillus or
Bifidobacterium, has health promoting benefits. These probiotic organisms help restore
an imbalanced Gut Protection System.

Your Gut Protection System is
the Secret to Good Health

Think of the healthy bacteria—or probiotics—in your digestive system as your Gut
Protection System. Up to 80 percent of the immune system is found in the gut. It’s your
body’s primary defense, and uses trillions of bacteria as your army. However, our natural
gut flora can be destroyed or depleted by changes in diet, increased stress, medications
including antibiotics, and other factors. When the balance of these beneficial bacteria is
disturbed, harmful bacteria can proliferate, leading to digestive upsets.
The good news is that you have the power to balance your gut and heal your body.
Scientists have long noted that consumption of foods and supplements containing
certain microorganisms, particularly certain species of probiotic Lactobacillus or
Bifidobacterium, has health promoting benefits. These probiotic organisms help restore
an imbalanced Gut Protection System.

The normal, good bacteria in the gut support a variety of intestinal functions:

1 - Probiotics play a key role in nutrition. In addition to synthesizing vitamins such as thiamine (B1), folic acid (B9), pyridoxine (B6),
and vitamin K, probiotics also produce digestive enzymes and help with the absorption
of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and iron.

2 - Probiotics protect the
intestinal lining. The lining of the intestinal tract, made up
of the epithelial barrier and the mucosal
barrier, is the human body’s largest (4,000
square feet) contact area with the external
environment. If this barrier is compromised,
harmful organisms and toxins in the intestine
can increase inflammation, cross into the
bloodstream or exert other undesirable
effects. Beneficial gut bacteria—or
probiotics—help maintain the integrity of
this lining by producing short-chain fatty
acids, which provide a major source of energy
for epithelial cells to regenerate themselves.

3 - Probiotics support and stimulate the immune system. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of our immune system is located in and around the
intestinal tract. Beneficial bacteria in the gut work to “educate” the immune system to
help it respond appropriately to invaders. Further, beneficial bacteria produce a variety
of inhibitory substances that help support a healthy balance of gut bacteria. In addition,
they stimulate the immune system and the secretion of immunoglobulin A (IgA), a very
important antibody that helps protect the intestinal lining.

Factors That Can Destroy Your Health
A multitude of factors in modern life can negatively impact the
ability of your Gut Protection System to do its job, including:

Aging
As we age, our levels of certain good bacteria start to decrease, especially Bifido
bacteria in the large intestine.

Antibiotics
While these drugs can be lifesaving, overuse
and misuse of antibiotics is a serious concern.
The problem is that along with the bad guys,
antibiotics also kill off the “good guys,” or
beneficial bacteria in the gut, in the process. The
result is that you may have cured the infection,
say, in your throat, but you’ve left your Gut
Protection System without foot soldiers.

Yeast Overgrowth
When antibiotics kill off our natural probiotic bacteria, another organism that can
proliferate is yeast, also called Candida. Left untreated, Candida can lead to leaky gut
and a host of other health problems.

Parasites
Invasive intestinal microbes can thrive in an environment that lacks sufficient, friendly
probiotic bacteria. Parasites can be difficult to detect and they can trigger a range of
digestive symptoms.

Undigested Food & Unhealthy Food Choices
The Standard American Diet (SAD), which is high in sugar, animal proteins, chemicals
and processed additives, but low in fresh vegetables and naturally fermented foods
can also be incredibly disruptive to the balance of bacteria in your gut. Unfriendly
organisms, including pathogenic bacteria and yeast, feed off sugar. So if you eat a diet
high in sweets (especially after a course of antibiotics), you’ll be giving a treat to the
bad guys. As they grow in number, they can crowd out the probiotic bacteria, leading
to digestive upsets and other health problems.

Environmental Toxins
Toxins from the environment are known to destroy friendly bacteria in your gut. Since
the middle of the 20th century, we’ve introduced over 80,000 new chemicals into our
air, water, food supply, and homes.

Acid-Suppressing Medications
Americans spend more than $3 billion a year on over-the-counter heartburn drugs
and more than $13 billion on prescription acid-reducing drugs. These drugs reduce or
eliminate the stomach acid that is essential to the health of our Gut Protection System.
Antacids work by changing the pH of the digestive tract, and in doing so create an
environment favorable to the growth of harmful pathogenic bacteria and yeast. What
many people who take antacids don’t know is that they may actually have too little.